Indicator lamp assembly for multicircuit electric appliances



Dec. 25, 1951 u w, SCQFIELD 2,579,618

INDICATOR LAMP ASSEMBLY FOR MULTICIRCUIT ELECTRIC APPLIANCE Filed April 12, 1949 2 SHEETS-SHEET l frzl s'nfar Donald WScafzZd Dec. 25, 1951 D. w. SCOFIELD INDICATOR LAMP ASSEMBLY FOR MULTICIRCUIT ELECTRIC APPLIANCE Filed April 12, 1949 2 Si-IEETSSHEET 2 fnrrzfar Donald WSaafz'eZd Patented Dec. 25, 1951 I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE mnrcs'roa LAMP ASSEMBLY FOR MULTI- cmcm'r amc'rmc arrmncas Application April 12, 1949, Serial No. 87,040

7 Claims.

The present invention relates to an indicator lamp assembly and more particularly to an in- -dicator lamp assembly for designating the operation of a plurality of electrical circuits as in an electrical appliance.

In electrical appliances, and particularly in appliances employing a plurality of electrical circuits, it has been proposed that a plurality of indicator lamps be connected in the various circuits to indicate which circuits are operating at any given time. The present invention provides a novel type of indicator lamp assembly for such use, the assembly of the present invention being particularly adapted for use inan electric stove or range.

In general, the present invention comprises an assembly for retaining a plurality of indicator lamps in position on a control panel for a stove or similar appliance. Each of the lamps is connected to its particular circuit, and novel lamp mounting means provide a common electrical return for the plurality of lamps. In addition, the novel mounting means of the present invention threadedly receives the threaded base of each of the lamps without the necessity of providing a threaded recess. A portion of the lamp mounting base is offset to engage the threads of the lamp without the necessity of performing any threading operation on the base.

Also, the assembly of the present invention provides a translucent indicator panel overlying the lamp of the assembly and means for confining the light from any one of the lamps to its appropriate section of the indicator panel. The lamps and the translucent panel are assembled into a complete indicator lamp assembly by a mere fitting together of the parts of the assembly without the necessity of external fastening means, thus eliminating the necessity of welding, brazing, riveting or otherwise fastening the assembly together. Any one of the plurality of parts of the indicator lamp assembly may be readily removed from the assembly for repair or replacement by a very simple operation inasmuch as no external means are employed to maintain the component parts in their assembled relation.

It is, therefore, an important object of the present invention to provide an improved indica- I tor lamp assembly.

Another object of the present invention is to in an electrical appliance.

A further object of the present invention is to 2 provide an indicator lamp assembly which may be readily assembled without the necessity of employing external fastening means.

It is a still further important object of the present invention to provide an improved indicator lamp assembly in which a plurality of lamps are maintained in position upon a lamp plate providing a common electrical return for the lamp and at the same time threadedly retaining the lamps without the provision of a threaded plate recess.

Other and further important objects of this invention will be apparent from the disclosures in the specification and the accompanying drawings.

On the drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevational, front view of a control panel for an electric range;

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the plane 11-11 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a vertical, sectional view, with parts shown in elevation, taken along the plane III-III of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a horizontal, sectional view taken along the plane IV--IV ofFigure 2;

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary, sectional view of the lamp base plate of Figures 2 and 3; and

Figure 6 is an enlarged, exploited perspective view of the indicator lamp assembly of the present invention.

As shown on the drawings:

In Figure 1, reference numeral l0 refers generally to a control panel for an electric range including a clock or timer face l|,a heating element control knob l2 and a heating element indicator section l3.

As shown in Figure 3, the panel [0 includes an outer decorative strip l4 preferably formed of metal and provided with a plurality of vertically aligned apertures I5 through which the heating element indicator section or assembly l3 may be viewed. An inner, load bearing, supporting strip I6 is spaced directly behind the decorative strip ll to support the indicator section I3 in abutting relation to the decorative strip. As best seen in Figure 6, the supporting strip I6 is channeled to provide inturned, spaced flanges l6a and I82) and a central web section lfic, apertured as at lid. When the indicator strip I3 is assembled as viewed in Figure 2, the aperture l lid is aligned with the apertures I5 of the decorative strip It.

A generally U-shaped lamp bracket l1, having spaced generally parallel legs Ila and Nb, is adapted to be secured to the supporting strip I6.

. 3 More particularly, the freely extending end of each of the legs l'la and I'll) is provided with a pair of spaced, out-turned side flanges l8 and I3 and a central out-tumed flange 28 between the flanges l8 and i9. The central flange 28 is spaced inwardly from the side flanges I8 and I8 through a distance approximately equal to the thickness of the strip IS. The U-shaped bracket I1 is formed of relatively resilient sheet material, such as sheet metal, so that the legs "a and Ho may be resiliently deflected inwardly toward one another.

The assembly of the bracket I! to the strip I8 is illustrated in Figures 2 and 4 in which it may be seen that the legs Ila and Nb are partially inserted through the aperture "id of the plate I 8 with the legs I la and Nb being resiliently deformed inwardly toward each other. The bracket I1 is inserted through the aperture l'8d only to such an extent that, upon release of the legs Ma and Nb, the flanges l8 and i3 engage the forward surface of the plate |8- while the flange 28 engages the rear surface of the plate I8 to secure the bracket thereto.

A plurality of lamps 2| are secured within the lamp bracket H by means of a lamp mounting plate 22 extending transversely of the bracket between the bracket legs Ila and D. As best seen in Figures and 6, the lamp mounting plate 22 is provided with opposing reduced tongues 23 of such size to fit within corresponding apertures 24 formed in each of the legs Ila and ill). The mounting plate 22 is formed of a suitable insulating material, as for example of a plurality of cloth laminae impregnated with a phenolic resin, and the plate is preferably of such sizeas to extend into flush relation with the interior surfaces of the legs |'|a and Nb of the bracket II when the indicator lamp assembly is assembled.

The mounting plate 22 carries a ,conducting strip 25 formed of suitable material, as of brass. which is secured to the plate 22 by suitable means, as by hollow rivets 26. The plate 22 is provided with spaced, aligned circular apertures 2'! for receiving the bases 2|a of the lamps 2|, while the strip 25 is provided with corresponding apertures 28 aligned with the apertures 21. The apertures 28 of the strip 25 are not circular in peripheral contour but rather are provided with radially inwardly projecting segmental protuberances 28 which are offset in a direction normal to the plane of the plate 25. The protuberances 29 are provided with arcuate inner surfaces 38 which engage the threaded bases 2|a of the lamps 2| inserted through the registering apertures 21 and 28. This engagement of the threaded bases 2 la by the protuberance edge 38 is shown schematically in Figure 5 and also in Figures 2 and 3. Thus, the threaded base 2|a of each of the lamps 2| is engaged by a protuberance 28 eliminating the necessity of providing a plurality of threaded apertures in the plate 25 to receive the lamps 2|. It is to be noted that the protuberance 28 cooperates with the remainder of the peripheral edge of each of the apertures 28 so that the lamp base is actually threadedly engaged by the entire periphery of each of the apertures 28.

The electrical contact with the lamps 2| is provided by means of an individual lead wire 3| for each of the lamps 2|, each lead wire being secured, as by soldering, to a hollow rivet 32 secured to the insulating lamp mounting plate 22 but not to the strip 25. A deformable conductor strip 33 is secured to each of the hollow rivets 32 4 in good electrical contact with each of the lead wires 3|, the strips 33 being contacted by the base contacts of each of the lamps 2| when threaded into the apertures 28 as hereinbefore described. The plate 25 provides a common return for each of the lamps 2| by means of areturn conductor 34 secured to the plate 25 in good electrical contact therewith by suitable means, as-by solder, through one of the hollow rivets 28. I

It may be seen in Figure 2 that, upon assembly of the lamp bracket ll in the aperture |8d of the plate IS, the lamps 2| are immediately adjacent the aperture ltd. The bracket I1 is maintained in position within the aperture |8d and the illumination from each of the lamps 2| is channeled to its proper indicator panel space by means of the lamp shield assembly 35 as shown in Figures 2 and 6 of the drawings. The lamp shield assembly 35 includes a lamp shield bracket 38 having opposed, inturned flanges 31 and 38 sized to fit within the aperture |6d of the supporting strip l8. More particularly, the flanges 31 and 38 are so spaced that they fit within the legs Ila and "D of the lamp bracket I! when it is assembled within the aperture l8d, the flanges 31 and 38 contacting those portions of legs Ila and HI; immediately adjacent the leg flanges 28, as best shown in Figure 2. The flanges 31 and 38 help urge the legs Ila and I'll) outwardly so that the flanges |8, I9 and 20 are maintained in tight gripping engagement with the plate It. When thus assembled, the bracket 38 prevents the inward resilient movement of the legs |'|a and ilb to permit removal of the bracket from its position within the aperture I811.

The lamp shield bracket 38 is also privided with outwardly turned marginal flanges 39 and 48 receiving therebetween a translucent ceramic or glass plate 4| and upper and lower clamping flanges 42 to overlie adjacent marginal portions of plate 4| to prevent vertical movement thereof. The translucent plate 4| is thus secured to the front face of bracket 38 to lie between the bracket and the decorative strip |4 upon final assembly, as shown in Figure'2.

The bracket 38 is provided with a series of'vertically aligned apertures 43, while the translucent plate 4| is provided with indicia 44 in corresponding position to lie between the apertures 43 of bracket 38 and the apertures l5 of stri l4.

A light baille 45 having parallel inwardly extending legs 48 and 41 is secured to the lamp shield bracket 38, as by spot welding, to extend between the lamps 2| when the device is assembled as vlewed in Figure 2. The baflles 46 and 41 serve to confine the light from any one of the lamps 2| to illuminate only that indicia 44 lying directly in front of the respective aperture 43 with which the lamp is associated. It will be seen in Figure 2 that the baflle 45 is apertured as at 48 so that light from the center lamp 2| may illluminate its corresponding indicia 44 of plate 4|.

It will, of course, be appreciated that the indicia 44 of the plate 4| is correlated tothe circuit to which the corresponding lamp 2| is connected through its respective lead wire 3|. In this manner, the control panel affords at a glance an indication of those circuits of thestove which are in use at any given time.

It will, of course, be understood that various details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and it is, therefore, not the purpose to limit the patent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. An indicator lamp assembly comprising a supporting strip having an aperture formed therein, a lamp bracket having resilient arms engaging opposing sides of said aperture in resilient gripping engagement, a plurality of lamps secured within said lamp bracket and connected to the various operating circuits of an appliance, shielding means also engaging said supporting strip to direct light from said lamp to a desired spot, and visual indicating means associated with each of said lamps for indicating those circuits which are energized.

2.'An indicator lamp assembly for an electrical appliance comprising a supporting strip having an aperture formed therein, a lamp bracket having resilient arms engaging opposing sides of said aperture in resilient gripping engagement, a plurality of electrical lamps carried by said bracket and connected to various operating cirsuits of said appliance, and a shield assembly engaging said bracket and urging the same into tighter engagement with said strip and including means extending between said lamps to direct light therefrom against corresponding indicia.

3. An indicator lamp assembly for an electrical appliance having a plurality of electrical operating circuits comprising a load bearing supporting strip having an aperture formed therein, a lamp bracket having elongated resilient arms formed with terminal flanges engaging opposing sides of said strip at the edges of said aperture, a plurality of electric lamps carried by said bracket and connected to the various operating circuits of the device, a lamp shield having flanges positioned in the aperture of said strip and urging the arms of said bracket outwardly into engagement therewith, and shield baiiles carried by said shield and extending between said lamps for directing light from said lamp to a desired location.

4. An indicator lamp assembly for an electrical device having a plurality of electrical operating circuits comprising a lamp bracket having elongated parallel resilient arms terminating in spaced flanges, a supporting strip having an aperture formed therein receiving a portion of said arms with'said flanges bearing against opposing sides of said strip to secure said bracket thereto, a plurality of lamps carried by said bracket and connected to the various operating circuits of said appliance, a lamp shield engaging said arms and urging the same outwardly into engagement with those portions of said strip defining said aperture, baflies secured to said shield and ex tending between said lamps to direct light therefrom, and a translucent plate for receiving light from said lamps and having indicia formed thereon describing that circuit with which the lamp associated therewith is connected.

5. An indicator lamp assembly for an electrical appliance having a plurality of operating electrical circuits comprising a lamp bracket having freely extending elongated arms formed of relatively resilient material with terminal flanges, a

supporting strip having an aperture receiving the end portions of said arms and contacting said arm flanges, an insulating strip extending trans- ,versely across said bracket, a plurality of elecbracket arms having opposed apertures intermediate of said arms, an insulated mounting strip having tongue portions seated in said bracket arm apertures, a plurality of electrical lamps carried by said insulating strip and connected to the various operating circuits of said appliance, a lamp shield having spaced, terminal flanges engaging said arms and urging the same into contact with said strip, and battles carried by said lamp shield and extending between said lamp to direct light therefrom against indicia carried by said shield.

-7. In an indicator lamp assembly for an electrical appliance having a plurality of electrical operating circuits, a lamp mounting plate for securing indicating lamps in said assembly comprising an insulating mounting base, a conduct- .ing strip secured to said base, said base and said strip having registering apertures and a portion of said strip being deformed to overlie said registering apertures to threadedly engage the base of lamps secured thereto, and a plurality of electrical contacts carried by said base for contacting the base contacts of said lamps, said plates serving as a common return for said pluralityoi' lamps.

DONALD W. SCOFIELD.

' REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,086,494 Fenton July 6, 1937 2,215,260 Woodward Sept. 1'7, 1940 2,220,515 Foute Nov. 5, 1940 2,465,753 Ross, Jr. Mar. 29, 1949 

